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How to use Targeted Personalisation?

Turn your website into a digital concierge

Every visitor who lands on your website arrives with their own reason for the trip — a business stay, a family holiday, or a romantic getaway. Targeted Personalisation lets your site recognise those different motivations and adapt what each visitor sees, so your homepage feels less like a generic booking page and more like a digital concierge who already knows what they came for.

Rather than showing one broad message to everyone, you serve relevant imagery, offers, and calls to action to the right people. That relevance is what drives engagement and direct bookings — visitors who see content that matches their intent are far more likely to convert.

 

⚙️How Personalisation Works: The Three Core Parts

Personalisation runs on a simple three-part system. Understanding these terms makes everything that follows easier.

Object Definition Practical Examples
Audience A named visitor segment defined by matching real-time session parameters. Mobile Users, Visitors from Booking.com, US-based Guests.
Replacement Content The alternative text, images, or direct booking buttons designed for that specific audience segment. Highlighting a corporate meeting package or event configuration instead of a generic leisure stay.
Priority The hierarchical order that decides which rule wins if a guest qualifies for multiple segments simultaneously. Campaign traffic or referral links always outrank broad geographic targeting rules.

 

👥 Part 1: Build Your First Audience

An audience is the segment of visitors you want to target. Building one is the foundation for everything else.

Path: Page Editor > Website > Personalization

  1. Click Create New Audience to open the segment rule builder.
  2. In the Audience Name field, type a clear label (e.g. Visitors on Mobile Devices).
  3. Scroll to Add Audience Rule and click the Rule Type dropdown to choose your dimension.

Available dimension triggers:

  • Referring Website — tests the traffic source (e.g. does the referrer contain booking.com or expedia.com).
  • Country / State / City — resolves the visitor's location instantly via secure IP lookup.
  • Device Type — detects Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile.
  • Visited Pages — targets behaviour by tracking which pages a guest viewed earlier in their session (e.g. the spa or conference page).

⚠️ Critical pitfall: Choosing a value from a sub-menu (such as Mobile under Device Type) does not add it to your rule. You must click the secondary ADD DEVICE TYPE (or ADD REFERRING WEBSITE) button inside that field to pin the selection. If you skip this, the rule saves empty and fails silently.

Combining Multiple Rules

By default, multiple rules on one audience use AND logic — the visitor must match all of them. For advanced segmenting, select Use Custom Rule Logic to write boolean expressions, such as 1 AND (2 OR 3).

Common Audiences at a Glance

Use this as a quick reference for mapping visitor attributes to the rule logic you'll build in the personalisation engine.

Priority Audience Segment Shared Attribute Engine Rule Logic
1 New site visitors Visiting the website for the first time New/Returning equals New
2 Visitors delivered to reservation system Have reached the booking engine Delivered to Booking Engine equals Yes
3 Visitors from social networks Arriving via social links Referring Website contains facebook.com, instagram.com, x.com
4 Visitors on mobile devices Browsing on a smartphone Device Type equals Mobile
5 International visitors Browsing from outside the home country Country equals [Foreign Country]
6 Campaign audiences Arriving via a tracked promo link Campaign equals [Campaign Code]
7 Return visitors Have visited the website before New/Returning equals Returning
8 Nearby mobile visitors On mobile, near the property Device Type equals Mobile AND City equals [Property City]
9 Repeat customers Returning AND previously reached the booking engine New/Returning equals Returning AND Delivered to Booking Engine equals Yes
10 Abandoned reservations / RFPs Began a booking or RFP but didn't complete Delivered to Booking Engine equals Yes AND New/Returning equals Returning

 

🖥️ Part 2: Apply Personalisation to Your Page

Once an audience segment is configured on the personalisation dashboard, you apply alternative content directly inside your page widgets. The personalization engine intercepts the layout at request time: matched visitors see your targeted content, while all other traffic receives the default unchanged.

To apply personalization, open the individual item within the widget rather than editing the widget itself.

  1. Hover over the master widget and click Edit to open the item tree.
  2. Find the slide, room card, or row you want to target and click Edit on that row.
  3. Scroll to the Personalization section near the top of the item panel.
  4. Click Add Replacement and choose your audience.
  5. In the new field block, add your targeted text, images, and booking paths.
  6. Click Save inside the item panel, then Save on the master widget.

Examples:

     

    🔗 Part 3: Drive More Bookings with Deep Links

    A deep link pre-loads details — such as promo rates, check-in dates, or room counts — straight into the booking engine. This skips the generic date-selection screen and brings the guest closer to checkout, which lowers drop-off.

    Add these parameters to a button's link to build a direct checkout path:

    Parameter Function Example
    ?price_group= Restricts visible search options exclusively to a designated package ID. ?price_group=12345
    ?date_in= Pre-populates the target arrival timeline (YYYY-MM-DD). ?date_in=2026-12-01
    &nn= Defines the absolute number of nights for the stay (essential for mobile engine stability). &nn=2
    &adults= Specifies the total number of adult occupants. &adults=2
    &vgo=1 Instructs the interface to expand specific room option details automatically. &vgo=1

    Add your deep link string in the Include URL Parameters field inside a button's link settings.

    ⛔ Critical syntax rule: Your parameter string must start with a question mark ?. If it starts with anything else (such as &), the booking platform ignores it and loads a blank calendar. Start with ?, then join every following parameter with &.

     

    🔢 Part 4: Set Your Audience Priorities

    A visitor often matches several segments at once. The platform honours the most specific rule first, but priority is not a field in the CMS — you map it deliberately on your own planning sheet.

    • Priority 1 — Campaign & Referral: The clearest intent (promo codes, OTA entry links).
    • Priority 2 — Behavioural: Demonstrated interest in the session (viewed spa or meeting pages).
    • Priority 3 — Geographic: The broadest segments, based on location.

    Start small. You don't need to map everyone at once. Begin with one to three key audiences — new visitors, reservation abandoners, geotargeted visitors, or campaign visitors — then expand as your strategy matures.

     

    🧪 Part 5: Testing, Validating, and Going Live

    Your live canvas always shows default content, so you must use the preview tools to confirm your personalisation works before publishing.

    Step 1: The Test Personalisation Simulator

    The CMS includes an integrated session builder that allows you to mimic any visitor profile without changing your physical testing hardware.

    • Path: Page Editor > Website > Personalization > TEST PERSONALIZATION (located on the main Audiences landing screen).
    • Set Your Environment: In the Preview or Live Website dropdown, select Preview Website to test your staged edits safely in the sandbox.
    • Choose Your Target Landing Page: Select your page node (typically Home).
    • Construct Your Profile: Populate only the specific input panels that match the audience rules you wish to validate:
      • To test Geotargeting: Type your target area in the Visitor City autocomplete field. Ensure you select a suggestion where the first segment strictly matches your targeted nation (e.g., United States - New York - Wayland to test a US-only layout).
      • To test Referrals: Type your domain inside the Visitor Referring Website input panel (e.g., http://www.booking.com).
      • To test non-mobile rules: Select your targeted viewport from the Visitor Device Type options (Desktop/Tablet).
    • Run the Simulation: Click the internal [ Test Personalization ] button at the base of the page. This compiles your criteria variables into a custom test URL string and launches your staging page in a new browser tab. Confirm that your target personalisation variants display perfectly and default content is hidden.

    Step 2: Validating Mobile Layouts via QR Code

    Mobile QR code generation is not available via the Test Personalization simulator screen. To safely verify device-targeted rules or check how your layout renders on an actual mobile viewport, use the preview tools directly in the Page Editor:

    • Path: Main Navigation > Publish > Preview Website OR Page Editor Preview Toolbar > Size: Mobile.
    • Step-by-Step Execution:
      1. Open your targeted page canvas inside the Page Editor.
      2. Locate your top responsive configuration toolbar. Switch the Size dropdown from Desktop to Mobile (360 × 640).
      3. Navigate through the main menu to the Publish zone or click the Get Mobile QR Code button positioned in the upper right workspace bar.
      4. Scan the rendered QR barcode directly with your mobile device's camera.
      5. Review the live responsive rendering on your smartphone screen to ensure personalized mobile content triggers correctly, and that button sizing, image crops, and column flows adapt beautifully.

    Step 3: Pushing Your Changes Live

    Once your preview testing is fully validated across all criteria dimensions, you are ready to publish your updates to the live web server.

    • Path: Page Editor Toolbar > Publish.
    • Collaborator Check: Review the Website History log. If a yellow warning banner appears stating other team members have uncommitted changes, review their modifications, check the Confirmed clearance box, and click Continue.
    • Preview Compilation: Click [ PREVIEW WEBSITE ] to open a comprehensive preview tab of your full compiled site architecture as a final deployment pass.
    • Execute Pushes Live: Click [ PUBLISH WEBSITE ]. If your property utilizes multiple localized language domains across a connected group portfolio, select [ PUBLISH MULTIPLE WEBSITES ] to push your updates across all target instances simultaneously.
    • Clear Server Cache: Open a fresh incognito/private browser window to verify the live site. If old layout assets or previous text definitions continue to display due to network routing memory, return to your Publish dashboard and click Purge Normal within the CDN control panel to force edge nodes to pull fresh files.

     

     

    💡 Example Campaigns That Convert

    Three worked examples to inspire your own strategy. Each maps one audience to tailored content across four placements.

     

    Campaign 1 — New Visitors

    • Target audience: New site visitors
    • Notes: These visitors are new, so introduce the destination and what makes your hotel the best base to explore it. Use appealing local imagery so they can picture their stay, and add a direct-booking incentive with a set end date.
    Placement Content
    Banner headline Thinking about [city]? We've been thinking about you too.
    Promotional message Explore all that [city] has to offer, from the hotel that knows it best.
    Modal popup Reserve your room by [promo end date] and receive discounted rates on local events, attractions, and restaurants.
    Call to action Experience [city].
    Imagery Local landscapes, attractions, and the most photographed city views.

     

    Campaign 2 — Reservation System Abandoners

    • Target audience: New visitors delivered to the reservation system
    • Notes: These visitors have already reached the booking engine, so you know they're interested. Reinforce that intent with a clear discounted offer to close the booking.
    Placement Content
    Banner headline Save 20% on your [property] reservation when you book direct!
    Promotional message Why pay more for the same room?
    Modal popup Start earning loyalty reward points during your first stay!
    Call to action Discount my stay.
    Imagery Travellers enjoying local excursions and hotel amenities.

     

    Campaign 3 — Campaign-Specific Audience

    • Target audience: Anniversary campaign visitors
    • Notes: This audience arrives via tracked links from an anniversary campaign, so continue the theme. Trigger the modal on a time delay (e.g., after one minute), and link every CTA straight to the booking engine. Add a promo code (e.g. ANNIV2026) if the offer needs one.
    Placement Content
    Banner headline Experience the romance of [property].
    Promotional message Imagery of a happy couple on holiday and romantic celebrations.
    Modal popup Receive a free room upgrade and complimentary champagne when you celebrate your anniversary with us.
    Call to action Book your romantic getaway now.
    Imagery Happy couples and romantic celebrations.